SpaceX has confirmed the successful deployment of its 24 Starlink satellites, marking a milestone in the company’s growing launch rate. The 100th Falcon 9 rocket of the year was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying another batch of Starlink-optimized V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit.
The launch, which took place at 9:26 a.m. PDT (12:26 p.m. EDT), marked SpaceX’s ninth trip to space for its Falcon 9 first stage booster 1088. The rocket successfully landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, completing its 145th and 489th landing.
The launch brought the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit this year to 1,786, with the latest batch adding to the fleet. The deployment occurred approximately an hour into flight, following a deorbit burn that disposed of the rocket’s second stage in the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand.
SpaceX has achieved another notable milestone, becoming the only American space company to reach 100 launches in a single calendar year twice. The company aims to increase its launch rate from California and has submitted plans for approval that would see up to 95 launches annually from Vandenberg.
Notably, SpaceX is ramping up its launch rate with ambitions to host up to five Falcon Heavy launches at the proposed pad at SLC-6. However, regulatory approval is still pending for this project.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/08/17/live-coverage-24-starlink-satellites-to-launch-from-california-on-100th-falcon-9-rocket-of-the-year